1. King County, Washington Climate Change Adaptation Efforts
2009 Local Climate Leadership Summit
Washington, D.C.
May 20th, 2009
Matt Kuharic
King County
Program Manager, Climate Response Initiatives
Department of Natural Resources and Parks

2. Presentation Outline Climate Impacts in the Pacific Northwest
What is Adaptation Planning?
Adaptation Guidebook
Current King County Approach
Example King County Adaptation Efforts
Flood Control
Vulnerable Facilities Assessment Tool
Transportation infrastructure
Ecosystem Climate Resiliency

3. Who, Where, What is King County?
1.8 Million residents (14th largest county in U.S.)
2,134 Square Miles
39 Cities
Provide local and regional services including: regional transit, sewage treatment, solid waste disposal, flood control, regional parks, public health

4. Who, Where, What is King County?
Cascade Mountains, glaciers, forest, farmland, rural lands, urban coastline, rivers, big lakes, small lakes, Puget Sound, Vashon Island

5. Pacific Northwest Impacts of Climate Change
Climate changes in…
Temperature
Precipitation
Storm frequency and intensity
will impact…
Snowpack
Streamflow
Flooding
Water supply
Sea level
Soil water content
and affect…
Agriculture
Stormwater
Wastewater Treatment
Wildfire risk
Roads
Hydropower
Forest health
Salmon and biodiversity
with consequences to…
Public health
Economic
livelihoods
Financial sector
Insurance
industry
Individual
comfort
Recreation
Fire damage in the North Cascade Mountains
A male Coho Salmon
Source: Climate Impacts Group, University of Washington,

6. King County Climate Change Impacts
Energy
Impacts to hydropower production (Columbia River) and regional heating & cooling degree days
Salmon
Productivity of streams for salmonids
Flood impacts
Agriculture/Economics
Impacts on productivity and sustainability of agriculture
I’d like to briefly describe the objectives or focus areas of each of the project sectors:
Water – we are assessing impacts to rivers in terms of changes in snowpack, streamflow and other hydrologic variables as well as assess impacts to regional water management
- in conjunction with another related project, we will be producing 100-year hydrologic scenarios, based on the 40 ensembles of future climate, at over 200 locations in the PNW
Energy – we are assessing impacts to hydropower production, as hydropower produces a majority of power for Washington State. We are also evaluating changes in heating and cooling degree days.
Salmon – We are assessing the productivity of the state’s salmon bearing streams and evaluating conditions that make salmon habitat most vulnerable. 6

7. King County Climate Change Impacts
Forests
Impacts to growth and productivity of forests and their susceptibility to fire and insect disturbance
Infrastructure
Impacts on vulnerable elements of civil infrastructure (stormwater systems)
Consider precipitation variability and flood frequency/magnitude
Health
Impacts of ozone and particulate matter on childhood asthma
Heat stress and potential increases in mortality
Infrastructure – We are focusing on stormwater systems and how they might be impacted by increased precipitation variability (flood frequency/volume).
Health - We are focusing on two areas where we may quantify impacts and these include impacts of ozone and particulate matter on childhood asthma as well as increased heat stress and potential increases in mortality.
(Feb.17, 2009) -- If nothing is done to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Washington is likely to experience some $3.8 billion in associated annual costs -- including $1.3 billion in health related costs alone. That will translate to about 2 percent of median annual household income by 2020, according to a report produced for the University of Oregon's Climate Leadership Initiative's Program on Climate Economics by ECONorthwest. 7

8. What is adaptive planning?
Planning with the understanding that…
History may no longer be a guide to the future
We must prepare for change in built, human and natural systems
We must be smart about what we build and where
“The key is to listen to scientists, not politicians.”
– Former King County Executive Ron Sims,
US News and World Report, June 5, 2006

9. Preparing for Climate Change Guidebook
University of Washington Climate Impacts Group
King County (WA)
Published by ICLEI - USA
Compliments ICLEI’s “Climate Resilient Communities” Program
Google: King County Climate Change Guidebook

10. Like Eating and Drinking
Mitigation
Stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases by reducing emissions across sectors
Adaptation
Ensuring the resilience of communities to the consequences of inevitable climate change
“In essence, mitigation is our number one preparedness strategy. If we do not stop the growth of eventually reverse greenhouse gas emissions, then our opportunity to adapt will be limited by the rapid pace of climate change.”
Former King County Executive Ron Sims
Many mitigation strategies are also adaptation strategies

11. 2007 King County Climate Plan
Provides an overview of strategies in both emissions reduction and preparedness
Sets a process in motion
Builds on over 15 years of efforts
Sets a process in motion – doesn’t have to be perfect the first time
“Collect the jewels off the field”

12. 2008 King County Comprehensive Plan
Assessment; Mitigation; Adaptation; Collaboration
Collaborate with local governments in the region to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 2007 levels by 2050.
Reduce net carbon emissions from county operations by 6% below 2000 emissions by 2010.
Various sections direct departments to include consideration of impacts from climate change in plans and projects

13. How is King County Adaptation Preparation and Planning Going?
Take time to think comprehensively - not just one meeting.

14. Example of King County’s Adaptation Efforts
Comprehensive Planning
Flood Planning
Reclaimed Water Efforts
Wastewater Treatment Division Asset Management
Transportation Infrastructure
Carbon Sequestration and Ecosystem Resiliency on Public and Private Lands
Brightwater Treatment Plant construction
West Point Treatment Plant
Seattle, Washington

15. Flood Control
Rather than wait for disaster to loom, Sims argued last week, "Let's make the investments and prevent it." That investment would amount to as much as... $30 a year on a $300,000 home. It would seem to be the cheapest insurance a homeowner could buy.
Cedar Grove Mobile home park. Flooded 3 times in the 1990’s alone.

16. Flood Plan
Up to $335 million to improve King County’s system of 500 levees
County purchase of most susceptible lands
Cedar Grove Mobile home park. Flooded 3 times in the 1990’s alone.

17. Reclaimed Water from Wastewater Treatment
Creating resources from wastewater
Continue and improve WTD’s existing reclaimed water programs
Develop markets for reclaimed water
Complete a Draft Reclaimed Water Comprehensive Plan by 2011

18. Vulnerability of Wastewater Facilities to Flooding from Sea-Level Rise
Identify Wastewater facilities impacted by storm surge/sea level rise (above extreme high water)
Develop and conduct GIS based methodology combining sea level rise projections + storm surge, compared to facility elevations
Identify the impact threshold (problematic at what level)
Characterize the impact (on-site flooding, hydraulic, operational)

19. Adaptation and Planning Response Vulnerable Facilities Inventory cont’d.
Conduct terrain analysis of five lowest sites and West Point Treatment Plant.
Raise elevation of Brightwater sampling facility and flow monitor vault sites.
Raise weir height and install outfall flap gate for Barton Pump Station improvements.
Used GIS to identify vulnerable areas along coast line (project area in white)
Facilities subject to tidal and storm impacts
40 facilities included
One Secondary TP, Three CSO TPs (red/orange)
Pump stations (green)
Regulator stations (blue)

20. Vulnerable Facilities Inventory Results and Recommendations
Conduct analysis of sea-level rise impacts on system hydraulics.
Identify adaptive strategies for affected facilities (i.e., protective berms, armoring, relocation, etc.)
Include findings in routine asset management improvements, capacity planning and facility design
Review sea-level rise literature every five years and address in five year updates to conveyance system plan.
Vulnerable Facilities Assessment Tool Available:

21. King County Transportation Infrastructure
New $24 million Tolt Bridge spanning the Snoqualmie River has been built with longer spans than the previous bridge, increasing its capacity to withstand high flows and major flooding events
More than 57 smaller "short span" bridges are planned to be replaced with wider span structures, allowing debris and floodwater to pass underneath without backing up river levels
Culverts that will increasingly be at risk of chronic flooding and road failure, and would cause destruction of fish habitat during storm events – will be replaced with larger systems not only to prevent roads from failing, but also to improve fish passage

22. Community Forestry Climate Response and Preparedness (CPR) Program
Opportunities on public and private lands to increase carbon sequestration and improve ecosystem resiliency
Virtually all of the lands have depleted soils and degraded vegetation:
Soil carbon declines of 60 to 70%;
Soil structure lost;
Significant resource in organic residuals:
Bio-solids, food waste, yard waste, woody debris
Public Lands: Establishing test plots at the Vashon Island landfill borrow pit
Private Lands: Document and incorporate the public benefit that climate friendly land management activities provide.
Over 30,000 acres of public land
20,000 acres of farm and forest resource lands;
5,000 acres of ecological lands;
7500+ acres of derelict lands—pits, storage sites;

23. Recent Storm Events January 2009
Snoqualmie Valley Farmland
Hyak Ski Area
Snoqualmie Falls
Downtown Snoqualmie

24. Conclusion We can and must plan with “less than perfect” information
Focus on reducing vulnerabilities and risks
Establish institutions and partnerships to deal with climate change impacts on an ongoing basis
Remain flexible and expect surprises
Mitigation and adaptation are urgently needed now

25. References

26. King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks
Contact:
Matt Kuharic
King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks

27. Preparing for Climate Change Suggested Steps
Initiate a climate planning effort
Listen to the science
Scope the impacts to your sectors
Build support – and build a team
Identify planning areas most affected by climate change
Conduct a climate resiliency study
Set goals and develop your plan
Implement your plan
Measure progress
Drawn from Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional and State Governments, by the Climate Impacts Group and King County, and published by ICLEI – September 2007

28. Resources needed and bigger picture action
Funding for projects like sea level rise online mapping tool
More preparedness trainings for local governments, according to climate change impact areas
A National Climate Service to provide climate science that is actionable for public policy and infrastructure decisions